Locomotive stoker



March 29, 1932. N. MILOWER 1,851,635

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed March 6, 1926 INVENTOR.

1 14271022? [oz/er BY I ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 29, 1932 (min STATES "PATENT Er ice NATHANM. LOWER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,"ASSI GN'OR, BY MESNEAS-IGN MENTS, TO THE STANDARD STOK ER COMPANY INQ OF NEW YORK, Y., A COE PORATION OF DELAWARE LocoMorIvn' sTOK'ER Application filed March a, 1926. Seriaf No. 92,733.

The invention relates to stokers of the type in which fuel is transferred from the tender and delivered to the fire-box above the grate surface, over which it is scattered by suitable means. i v

The objects of the invention are to simplify and lightenstolrers of this character, while securing a high degree of efiiciency;'to pro feet the delivery conduit from the destructive heat within the fire-box; to provide for the convenient-removal and replacement of the delivery end of theconduit without drawing the fire; and to secure other advantages as will'appear in connection with the description of the device. I

A desirable embodiment ofthe invention is'hereinafter' described, and isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which The drawing is a detail longitudinal vertical section through the locomotive and tender and centrally through the stoking de: V168.

In present railroad practice many locomotives are of such sizethat their weight reaches closely to the limit permissible inview of the strength of someportions of the tr'acksupport, such as bridges, and it becomes important to reduce to the minimum the weight of'accessory devices, such as stokers, and to distribute this weight. i

In the maintenance of etching devices'a serious item'ofexpense is due to the destruc tion, by the intense heat developed, of the portions of thestoking device which are located in, or project into, the fire-box. It is important not only-that the-cost of replacement-parts be reduced to the minimum, but

that where possible, withoutdetracting from the efficiency of the SlZOkQI', the latter be so organized and associated'with the fire-box that repairs and replacements may be made without necessitating the drawing of the fire and the cooling off of the fire-box. to the end that the locomotive may continue in service without'material delay for such repairs;

These and other advantages are secured in the stoker herein disclosed.

Portions of ailocomotive are represented at 10, its fire-box being indicated at 11, its backhead at l2, and its grate .at 13. At 14 there is shown-the floor or deck of the cab.- The framing ofthe locomotive tender is shown at 15, and the floor of itsfuel bin at 16. i

A fuel-conveying trough 17 is rigidly mounted: on the frame of the tender, e-Xtending longitudinally thereof and immediately below the floor 16, which is suitably apertured to permit the discharge of fuelinto the trough. 'This trough terminates at its for ward end adjacent the forward end of the tender, and within-it is located suitable means for advancing the fuel, here'shown as a helicalscre'w-IS, properly journaled at each end. A motor 19 is-here conveniently represented as of the multi-cylinder reciprocating type, its shaft being suitably geared to a driving shaft; not shown. extending backward ly underthe'floor of the tender as isiwell known in the art'and connected by suitable gearing,

conventionallyshown at 21,-to the shaft of the screw"1 8. "Adjacent the forward end of the trough acrushing'jaw or abutment 22 arches over th'e screw 18, and cooperates with the'latter'to reduce the fuel to suitablesite for use inthe fire-box:

Attached to thefo'rwa'rd'end 'of' the trough 17 g by 'mean's'of a universal joint 23 of'the balland socket type, is a fuel conduit comprising strai'ghtsections 45 and 4:6. This conduit is inclined upwardly and its forward section 46 extends looselyinto an opening or aperture 47 in the back-head of the boiler below theusual hand-firing door opening '26 andimmediately above the firebox gratefISQ Within this conduit there is located suitable fuel advancing means, here'shown as a screw conveyor 48, the shaft of which is connected. by a universal joint, as shown at 29', with the forward end of the shaft'of the screw 18. The forward end of the screw terminates short of the front end ofthe feed conduit section 46 in order thatit may not be exposed to the destructive heat of the fire. This is quite practicable for the reason that there is nobend or elbow thru 01 past which the fuel must be forced. The shortening of the screw need not be of any great extent, as it will be protected from the heat by the constantly advancing fuel which, in a device of this kind, will substantially fill the conduit at all times.

form a sleeve.

secured together by means of suitable bolts,

Preferably, the forward end of the conduit section 46 does not project beyond, or substantially beyond, the back sheets of the firebox and its rearward end portion incloses the forward end of the conduit section 45, and may extend a considerable distance along it to The two sections are rigidly and in event of damage to the forward end of the section 46 by the heat, the bolts may be loosened, the section shoved forward to V properly position its delivery end with reference-to the firebox, and the bolts again tightened up. When this forward section has been burned awayto such an extent that it cannot'be readjusted, it may be removed and a new section inserted. This adjustment or Eenewal can be made without disturbing the re. 7 V

' A short distance inwardly from the backhead there is mounted on the grate, and here shown as being applied to the second grate bar, a deflector 49 in the form'of an inverted V. The advancing fuel delivered by the feed conduit directly onto the grate 13 is thereby deflected upwardly and caused to build up in a pile, as indicated at 5 0, the top of the pile coming into the zone of action of horizontally directed steam jets discharging from opening 44 in the nozzle 51, which is disposed above the normal level of the firebed and may be of any suitable construction. The deflector 49 maybe provided with apertures incident to such relative movements, but also draft gear-connecting the two'vehicles, as theconduit section 46 is free to slide within the from strain incident to the relative longitudinal movement of the locomotive and tender due to the compression and expansion of the backhead opening or aperture 47. a Not only is the entire structure comparatively light but by locating the engine 19 on the tender and driving all of the movable parts from it through a single connection, the

major part of the weight of the entire device.

is carried by the tender, and the stoker may be applied to heavy locomotives without involving any problem of excessive weight.

The proper distribution ofthe fuel is easily insured by suitably arranging, directing and "prop'ortioning the steam jets of the nozzle 51' to which steamis'supplied thru the line 41.

An lmportant feature and an outstanding I advantage of the disclosed embodiment of the invention is the placement of the entire transfer conduit beneath the locomotive and tender decks or floors.

Various changesmay be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, a locomotive having a cab and a deck therefor and a firebox with a grate, said fireboxbeing provided with a ba'c'kwall having a hand firing opening therein above said grate and having another opening therein between said grate and said hand firing opening, a tender provided with a floor, and a fuel conduit comprising sections universally jointed together, the rearward section being below the tender floor and the forward section projecting loosely through the opening in the back-head of the locomotive fire-box between the hand firing opening and the grate and wholly beneath the deck of said locomotive. I

2. In combination, a locomotivehaving a' fire-box with a grate, the fire-box having a vbackwall apertured above said grate, a fuel transfer conduit 7 projecting loosely through the aperture-in the back-head of the fire-box whereby relative angular movement of the conduit and back-head may occur, said conduit delivering fuel directly onto' said grate, means on the grate separate and apart from said conduit for deflecting the delivered fuel upwardly and means independent of said first-named means for scattering the entering fuel over the area of the grate.

3. In combination, a locomotive having a cab deck and a fire box provided with a grate, the back head of the fire box being apertured, said aperture extending to a point below said deck,a fuel conduit projecting through the aperture and delivering directly upon the grate, means for directing fuel upwardly from said grate, anda steam nozzle located above the aperture anddischarging approximately horizontally into the fire box'across the mass of fuel rising upwardly from the delivery end of said conduit during the operation of'said stoker.

4. In combination, a locomotive having a fire box provided'with a grate, the back head of the fire box being apertured adjacent to the grate, a fuel conduit projecting through the aperture and delivering directly upon the grate, an abutment projecting upwardly from the grate and facing the aperture, and

a steam nozzle located above the aperture and the two sections being united by auniversal joint, the rearward section being fixedlyiattached to the tender beneath the floor thereof 7 and the forward section projecting loosely and slidably into said opening in the back head of the fire box, immediately above the grate thereof, for delivering fuel directly on to said grate, and means for advancing fuel through the conduit.

6. In combination, a locomotive having a firebox with a grate and a backhead having an opening therein above said grate, a

tender having a floor, a sectional fuel conduit comprising a rearward section rigidly mounted on said tender beneath the floor and a forward section universally connected to the rearward section and extending forward- 1y to and arranged to discharge fuel into the firebox through said backhead opening directly onto said grate, said forward section being flexibly mounted with said backhead, means for advancing fuel through said sectional conduit, and a distributing means within said firebox disposed above the normal level of the firebed on said grate for spreading the delivered fuel thereover in aerial paths. r

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NATHAN M. LOWER. 

